The Ramen Shop Girl
by OliveMaclover
Summary: Love, a place that smelled of noodles. Life, a valued friendship. Death, a sacrifice made to remember. A normal flower will learn threw many hard choices that the most plan noodles can make the best ramen. However, with ramen spinning tails and roots get reveled, can the power of five be enough to stop fate? Ramen and roots, a good mix? or a deadly combination...
1. The Story Begins

**(Poppy's Beginning/ Chapter one)**

 **A/N - do not own Naruto**

The leaf had been blessed that day, on the night of October tenth, the daughter of Teuchi, who was the leafs best ramen master, held the leaf's first poppy in her arms. She had to get the doctor's help to sit up, but it was worth seeing her baby girl's chubby face.

A sweet giggle made everyone in the room smile as Poppy gave a toothless grin. Little hands holding onto her mothers face as she wiggled around.

"A bright spirit this one, haha!" A man with long black hair laughed as the new mother smiled at her husband. His black raven gaze meeting her light golden one. "She has your hair and smile"

" her father's spirit and eyes as well" she finished after her husband and they both gazed into Poppy's black eyes, filled with childish wonder and innocence. "I will never let harm come to you, my little Poppy"

Poppy giggled at her mothers promise and waved her hands around. The couple shared the joy as big smiles split their face's.

"I hope you didn't forget old papa, here?" A voice sung and the mother giggled.

"No papa, come!" She said, beckoning her father to hold Poppy. Teuchi nervously picked up his granddaughter and smiled when she stilled, looking up at him with a curious gaze.

 _ **(Beep, Beep, beeeeeeee...)**_

"Darling? what's happening!" Poppy's father screamed as his wife grew pale and stared blankly at them.

Doctors and nurses hurried into the room, trying to find what had happened, as poppy began to cry from all the noise.

"Shh, it's going to be okay..." Teuchi whispered to her as he left the noisy room and gave her a painful smile. but, when she reached up and cupped his cheeks with a pout, the old man couldn't stop the tears from falling down his cheeks.

The hall way grew silent before a huge explosion rocked the building. Teuchi clutched the baby to his chest, holding on to her for life, as his knees gave way. He kneeled on the tile floor, knowing that the little flower in his arms was the only thing he had left of his eldest daughter.

"It's going to be okay..." Teuchi choked out as he silently sobbed. A rower of a great beast echoed around the leaf as Teuchi's youngest daughter ran up to him in worry. He vowed to keep the girl in his arms safe and innocent as long as he could.

"Father!" Ayame cried and rushed to help her father to his feet as the floor cracked under the power coming from outside.

"Ayame, take poppy and get to the shelter!" Teuchi yelled over the screaming of hospital staff and explosions. "I need to find Jin!"

"Father!" Ayame's cry went unanswered as her father ran towards the room that held Sana and Jin, Ayame's eldest sister and brother in law.

Ayame swallowed up her tears and darted with poppy in her arms towards the exist, to only see it blocked by a slab of concrete.

'Go, don't stop!' She thought to herself as she made a mad dash threw a window and prayed that it was the first floor.

"Agh!" Ayame grunted as she landed onto the ground, tumbling into a roll, as she kept the baby safe in her arms. Pulling herself up, she felt blood trickle down her left knee. But, ignoring her injures, Ayame ran and did not stop until she saw the white flags of safety.

"Over here, Help!" She screamed as her legs gave out. Five medics ran to her, catching Ayame before she and the baby hit the ground. They were safe.

"Jin!" Teuchi called. But, no one answered and no one would, the old man's eyes witness the whole leaf get attacked by the nine-tail's threw a giant hole in the wall, where his eldest daughter's hospital room used to be.

No bed, no floor, no walls, every one was gone and the only thing left was the rooms door that barely held to the wall beside him. He fell to his knees, his chest tightened painfully, as he clenched his eye's shut and punched the broken tile floor.

"No... Jin, Sana!" Teuchi's blood curling scream echoed around the leaf as the nine-tailed beast was finally sealed and painful cry's raked the hidden leaf village.

The day poppy had been born and the day the fox had scarred the leaf would never be forgotten...

 **To Be Continued...**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Granddaughter

Ramen steamed on the counter-top as two little chubby arms reached for it.

"Ramen!" A cute squeal was heard around the shop as little two year old poppy smiled wide with no teeth. Her head adorned with black curls and gleefully hazel eyes, which made the customers flock to see her adorable face.

Ayame skillfully survived the heart eyed mothers, taking orders with Poppy tied to her back by a sash, as her father cooked a new batch of noodles in his big pot.

"I can't believe how much she's grown, will she be a Ninja?" A old women asked Ayame, who sat a bowl of ramen down in front of the woman.

"She'll be the bringer of peace, one bowl at a time!" Ayame's father preached, the men in the shop cheering, as his daughter sighed at his antics.

"Pa, please, you know what the doc said..." Ayana stressed and he waved a hand at her.

"Ayame, you worry too much, Poppy will cry!" He gave a pout as the woman and his daughter give him the look.

"Bah, fine!" He cried, the shops guest laughed.

"Tachi!" A older man, Dari yelled as he crashed threw the back door.

Everyone's laughter died as the man sank to the floor, blood coating his black skin from head to toe.

"Kami, Dari are you alright? Ayame close up shop and get the doctors quickly!" Ayame nodded at her fathers request and guided everyone out.

"No, stop!" Dari yelled out again, coughing out blood as Tachi tried to help him up. Ayame froze as he reached out for her, pointing at a wide eye Poppy, who was chewing on her stuffed giraffe.

"Their after her, Tachi!" He grabbed Tachi roughly, looking like a man gone mad. His eyes trained on the baby.

"No where is safe, the council will get her and when they do..."

Ayame slowly picked Poppy from her back a held her close as the man's eyes turned black with blood. Tachi quickly let the man free and stepped in front of his daughter.

The man let out a choked laugh. "She'll doom us all!" Dari cried before collapsing to the floor, dead at Tachi's feet.

"Father... Could he be talking about?"

"Hush Ayame!" Tachi snapped and his daughter went silent before he turned to everyone.

"I deeply apologize for this everyone, but you all need to forget what you've seen today..." Was Tachi's last words before his and everyone's eyes glowed gold for a second. And just like clockwork, everyone started to leave for home.

"They will forget everything in the morning, what happened here today will never be said, I'll take care of the rest..." Ayame nodded to her father before heading upstairs to tuck Poppy in, ignoring her shaking arms.

Tachi sighed tiredly, kneeling beside the dead man as he brushed Dari's long blond hair out of his face.

"Dari, I warned you not to pry now I have to clean up your mess..."

"Tachi, I see haven't changed..." A grave voice said, causing him to chuckle dryly.

"Hai, same to you Hokage-sama…" Tenchi and the third, who stood by the entrance of the shop grimly, stared at each other. Both men trying to read the other before Ayame came back down.

"Lo-Lord Hokage!" The poor teenager fell to her knees in a deep bow and her father smiled down at her.

"Ayame, do not bow to such filth." Ayame pales at her fathers words, the Hokage would have their heads with that talk!

The Hokage only sighed though and signaled his Anbu to clean up the dead man and his mess, shocking the woman as Tenchi's smile never faltered.

"I hoped that you'd come to sense by now, it seems that I was wrong..." The Hokage spoke coldly and Tenchi peered at him, the smile becoming sinister to the ruler of the village.

"Indeed..."Tenchi said before the third gave him a sad frown and vanished without a word.

Ayame pulled herself up off the floor and gave her father a nervous look. Tenchi frowned at where The Hokage had stood and rubbed his right arm, as if he was remembering something.

"where is she?" Tenchi asked after a silent pause.

"Up in her room, pa what just hap..." Tenchi raised a hand to silence Ayame and left for his granddaughter's bedroom.

Ayame huffed and followed him in silence, is she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the Hokage and her father seemed to have some history between them.

They entered Poppy's dark room, where she laid sleeping in her crib. Tenchi walked up to the child, softly taking her arm in hand as he gently clasped a gold bracelet to her wrist. Ayame covered a sob with her hands as he clasped another to Poppy's other wrist, Ayame couldn't believe what she was seeing and left the room in tears.

Tenchi sighed deeply, pinching his brow together in pain as he closed his eyes. He could only pray that in time his daughter and granddaughter would forgive him, but this needed to be. It was the only way he could protect them all from the vary village they lived in, he made a promise and Tenchi never broke his promises.

"I'm sorry little one..." He whispered, the bracelets glowing faintly in the dark room.


	3. The Ramen Boy

**(Few Years later)**

"Poppy, rise and shine!"

Birds flew by, tweeting about in flight, as white curtains were suddenly pulled apart. A blinding light pierced threw the dark room, getting a muffled whine out of the layers of brightly colored quilts on a small bed.

"Ayaaaame, I don't wannaaaaa~" A whiny voice came from the lump under the quilts and Ayame smirked at her niece.

"Well, guess I have to eat grandpa's ramen all by myself then!" Ayame teased as she grinned down at the blanket cocoon that was her niece. Her long brown hair hung free down her back. She tightens a white apron around her waist.

A long whine came from the cocoon again, making one think the thing inside was dying, before a head of black hair popped out. Ayame rolled her brown gaze and met the two hazel eyes of her only favorite niece, Poppy, who stared out from the rats nest that surrounded her head.

Ayame chuckled and picked up a wooden brush that laid on Poppy's night stand.

"Lets see what we can do with that hair first, though."

Poppy's eyes widen at the brush before the cocoon ran past Ayame and out of the bedroom. The woman's lips twitched and in an instant she chased after her niece. However, after an hour, Ayame had found and successfully captured Poppy.

"I don't get it, why do I have to brush my hair..." Poppy pouts and her aunt smiled softly.

"Because it's to let the world see how beautiful and cute my little niece is!" Ayame brawled with love and pulled Poppy's black hair into two ponytails.

"It's not like it matters, they'll still laugh at me..." Poppy mumbled, remembering all the times the village boys would tease her about not being normal.

Ayame frowned and slammed the brush down on the wooden vanity, giving Poppy a fright before being spun around to face her aunt.

"Listen to me Poppy, people are afraid of what they can't understand." She poked Poppy's little nose. "You are beautiful, they just can't understand that yet!"

Poppy stared up at her grinning aunt and let a bubbly smile split her cheeks as she hugged the caring woman before her. Gently patting the young girl's head, Ayame realized that the child had grown much tall from when she was a baby and grew sad. Her niece's head now reached just past her hip.

"Breakfast!" Poppy gasped as if they committed a crime to have forgotten and ran down stairs to the kitchen.

"Granny!" Poppy leeched herself onto her grandfather, sitting on his lap as Ayame followed in with a smile from the sight.

The old man had been quietly reading his paper with a mug of Joe in one hand, when he smirked down at the six year old in his lap. His hair had started to turn Grey and he had tried hiding it with his white chefs hat.

Poppy's pigtails and blue kimono reminded him of Sana and Ayame's first day of school.

"How did the talk with Mr. Shen go?" Ayame asked as they all sat down to eat breakfast. Poppy payed the grown ups little attention as she slurped down her beloved ramen.

"he's agreed to meet are terms" Ayame gave her father a joyous look, but it only lasted a moment as he went on.

"If we agree to send Poppy to the civilian academy"

"Over my dead body!" Ayame slammed a fist into the table, making Poppy flinch. Ayame froze at her nieces pained gaze and sighed.

"Poppy... I"

Poppy clutched her ears and whimpered before her grandfather scooped her up and gave his daughter a stern glare.

"Ayame control your temper, you know her hearing is sensitive"

Ayame nodded as her father sent Poppy up to get her school supplies. He turned around with a sigh and grabbed his own apron off a hook on the wall beside him.

"After Poppy is gone, we will get to the bottom of this" He frowned in anger as Ayame pulled out her white bandanna, tying it to her head. She nodded and they began to open up shop as Poppy's rushed feet could be heard coming down the stairs.

"Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three!" Poppy cheered as she counted the last step and sent her grandfather and aunt a thumps up before speeding off to her first day of school.

"I swear, she gets more like Sana everyday..." Ayame sighed and her father nodded.

"But, she will still have her fathers face..." And for that moment a tense silence draped over them. It was like a secret plagued them but they couldn't speak it out loud. However, as their first customer approached, they slapped on smiles for the people of the leaf.

Poppy skipped on her way to school, swinging her lunch box back and forth as she went. Her aunt had packed strawberries today and she couldn't wait for lunch as they were her favorite food to eat.

People walked by her, some waving hello whiles others said greetings. She was proud to have a grandfather that was so well known, it let her have some advantages when it came to shopping with aunt Ayame.

Poppy loved the leaf. It had great food, loving people (besides the boys of course), and even a mountain with people's faces on it. Like how awesome is that?

She was certain that other then the annoying boy, nothing was wrong with the leaf in anyway. How could there be? With such nice, kind and loving villagers...

"What makes you think a monster like you can eat here? Get lost or I'll beat ya!" A man ahead of poppy shouted out and gave her a scare. She realized the man was the owner of the dongo shop that her grandfather and Ayame would go to.

He was screaming and kicking a small boy, his blond hair reflected the sun as he crouched into the fetal position in the middle of the dirt road. But, the villagers just went by as if it was not happening.

Poppy felt the world get slower as the boy didn't let out a single cry. She couldn't fathom why no one would help him, sure boys were annoying, but still...

The boy closed his blue eyes and ready himself for the next strike from the enormous man as if it was best to let him take his anger out now then later.

"Stop it!" A soft voice screamed out, making the air shiver.

The boy snapped his eyes open to see a girl with pigtails standing protectively in front of him with her arms outstretched to her sides. But, the tears dripping down her pale cheeks made his and the man's gaze widen.

"Hey, isn't that Ayame's niece?" A woman in the crowed that formed around the three said.

"Ya, it's Tenchi's granddaughter!" A man yelled.

"Hey, what do you think your doing? Making little Poppy cry, ugh!" A older woman in the crowed screamed and then everyone started making a fuss.

Beads of sweat went down the man's neck at the glares he was getting, he worried for his store's reputation.

"Hey kid, please stop crying!" He pleaded and knelt down in front of the weeping girl.

"I'll let you have anything you want, how about that?"

"Y-you kicked him... " she sniffed and pointed at the blond boy sitting on the ground as she rubbed her wet eyes.

"Apologize!" She yelled.

The man, crowed and boy looked at Poppy in shock, who suddenly glared at the tall man as if she was scolding him.

"What?!" The crowed and the man yelled.

Poppy started to cry again and the man panicked and started apologizing again and again to the boy with bitter resentment in his gaze.

After Poppy stopped crying, the crowed was pleased and left. The man glared at the boy but patted the girl on the head and let her chose a dessert.

"What did you want?" She asked the boy and he blushed before mumbling.

"Dongo..."

"Can I have some dongo?" Poppy asked the man and he held in a snarl, giving the girl what she wanted before telling them to leave.

"So what's your name? Mines, Poppy!" Poppy gazed at the shocked boy, who. still on the ground. "Bet you don't get saved by a girl ever day, now do ya?" She grinned with a wink.

Poppy had planned the whole thing and the boy gapped in awe. She knew how tears affected people and used it only on rare occasions like this. She felt sick when no body did anything and thought 'well, if no ones going to help I will!'.

"N-Naruto Uzumaki, and no not really, believe it!" The boy stuttered out before grinning too. "Where ya going?"

"The academy, you?" Poppy said.

"Really? We're going to be in the same class I bet!" Naruto beamed to the sky and she smiled.

'I hope we do, Naruto.' Poppy thought as the idea of not knowing anyone there was scary. But with one look at Naruto, Poppy had a feeling that the road a head will become easier. Plus, he was named after the white star veggies her grandfather would chop into the ramen, he was ramen boy.

"Hey, Naruto race you there!" She spends up her walk to a run as Naruto ran after her.

"Hey, wait up. Poppy!" Naruto's pleas went to the wind.

 ** **(Later that day)****

"Hey is this seat taken?" Poppy asked nervously as white eyes gazed up at her. Lunch had started and Poppy didn't have anyone to sit beside before finding a girl just as alone as her.

"N-No... " The girl stutters and they sit together in silence.

"I'm Poppy, you?" Poppy says with a smile.

"Hin-Hinata..." The girl, Hinata says back with the same smile before they before start giggling.

"I guess this makes us friends, shy friends..." Poppy giggled out.

"Yea-Yeah..." Hinata flushed with a sweet smile.

"Poppy-Chan!" Naruto yells out, making them jump in fright before turning around to find him beside them.

"Ya want to have lunch with me? Your friend can join too if she wants!"

Hinata was beat red and Poppy hid a smirk at the obvious crush happening.

"Sure Naruto, where tho?" Poppy asks.

"Where else?" Naruto grins at their confusion.

" Ichraku Ramen!"

Poppy pales and before she knew it they were already in front of her family's shop. Her Grandfather was serving another costumer before turning to them and paused.

'Hey Teuchi, three bowls of ramen please!" Naruto cheered, jumping onto a stool as Hinata nervously slid onto the one next to him. Poppy gave her grandfather a sheepish wave and he frowns at Naruto.

"Naruto..." His face gets dark as Naruto gulps.

"Ye-Yeah?"

"What are you doing with my granddaughter?" Poppy groans at her grandpas threating tone.

"Grandpa!" She nags as Naruto went to the moon and back.

"GRANDPA?!" Naruto cried out at a blushing Poppy, who glared at her smirking Aunt.

"Po-Poppy-Chan, your fa-family runs this pl-place?" Hinata stuttered and Poppy nods.

"That's awesome, Poppy-chan!" Poppy blushes and smiles at Narutos complement. He was so nice!

"I can get deals on ramen now that I'm her friend right?!" Or not...

Teuchi, Hinata and Ayame try to hold their laughter as Poppy's glare turned to Naruto, who looked seriously at Teuchi.

"Baka!" Poppy cried out as everyone laughed.

 **To be continued!**


	4. The Fangirl Squad

"Ow my god!"

A squeal traveled threw the academy gardens.

"Sasuke just looked at me!" Green eyes glimmered in awe as a girl peeks over a rose bush to watch her crush, pink dress getting dirt all over it.

"Sakura, are you blind? He was obviously staring at me" A royal blue eye rolled as a blond haired girl swatted beside the pinkette.

"Ino, Sakura, of course he's staring, your behind their targets are you not?" A blunt voice says and the two girls pout, Poppy stood behind them with a smirk as her arms crossed. The two groan.

"Poppy your such a kill joy..." Ino grumbled before pulling Poppy down, making her join their stalking of Sasuke.

The academy had female students arranged to take secret classes for certain missions, of which the males would never dream to think of let alone do. And, one of the classes were handling flower arrangement and uses for undercover training, which was what Poppy, Ino and Sakura were working on while the boys learned fighting techniques.

Poppy, Ino and Sakura had been going over what plants were edible or poisonous. However, besides Poppy, the other female classmates watched their male classmates throw kuni more then learn. Well, not all the boys, just Sasuke...

"He's just a boy, what's the big deal?" Poppy sighed as she pulled a rose from the bushes that they all were hiding behind. She never understood why the girls all freaked out about him, if it was up to her she'd say that out of all the boys, Choji was the best boy to have a crush on. He was a polite, kind and quite boy. But, sadly, no one ever noticed him, same thing with a few other boys in their class. It made Poppy frown and question the girls in her class.

"Probably smells funny, every rose has its thorns..." Poppy says and twirled the flower around in her gentle grip.

"Oh please, Sauske smells amazing~" Poppy and even Ino gave her a creep-ed out look when the pinkette said that. Sakura huffs and throws a branch at them, who easily dodged it by bending to the left.

"I still can't believe you have no interest in boys, Poppy." Ino whispered as Iruka stalked past them, giving Poppy the side eye and rested her elbows on her knees. Her bang held up by a clip, the yellow summer dress stopped at Ino's knees as Poppy shrugs, getting back to picking at the bushes with a smirk.

"What are you even doing over here, Ino?" Sakura groaned, pulling away her fathers binoculars, as she gave Ino a suspicious look.

Ino had joined Sakura with no explanation and Poppy knew that they were going to become rivals. It had been a few days after Sakura broke off Ino's friendship and Poppy had to mend the bond.

"Can't a girl hang with her friend?" Ino smiled down at Poppy, who laughed nervously at Sakura and Ino's hard stares.

"Anyway, teacher said it's time to go..."

No sooner as Poppy cut in, a bell rang and their lunch break had begun. Poppy, being always prepared, already had her lunch with her and waited for her friends to return with theirs.

Poppy sighed, remembering the events that happened for her to met Sakura and Ino, as it had been only a year after Poppy had joined the academy, where she had already found strong friendships with many, like Sakura and Ino. Her mind drifted off as the two fan girls screamed at each other in the distance.

 _ **(Flashback)**_

"Naru-kun!"

Poppy waved happily as she ran down the street. Said boy had been standing on top of the water tower, probably looking for her, when he turned around to wave back.

"Poppyyyyyyyy!" He yelled, jumping down as he held the y in her name. landing right in front of her, his bright sunny blond hair shinned in the sun as he grinned at her down at her heavily breathing form.

"Ready?" Poppy gasped for breath as she had ran all the way from her grandfather's shop.

"I was born ready!" Naruto cheers and the entire leaf felt a chill run up their spine.

Poppy and Naruto had dressed up into matching orange-jumpsuits and swung black backpacks over their shoulders, stuffed to the brim with the leaf's demise. Their goal was simple, make the leaf's outer gate disappear.

Poppy might not be good at fighting or throwing Kuni. But, since she was the smartest girl in the academy and had a family of chefs for science and math, invisibility paint was nothing for her hands to create.

The two pranksters sat back and watched from the water tower as people walked threw the leafs gate, screams of surprise making them both grin. To outsiders it looked like nothing was protecting the leaf village as the invisible pain did its job. But, it was only a matter of time, as Iruka appeared before them enraged and dragged them to the Hokage's office, nagging them the whole way.

"I was lenient when you both turned my office into a fish bowl, I turned a blind eye when you two decided to grow a flower in my pipe!" The third Hokage nagged as he paced back and forth behind his desk.

"But this!" He pointed his pipe at the window, where the view of nothing around the village was obvious. "This time you two have finally done it, you both are going to spend the rest of today cleaning up the wall!"

"Whaaa!" Naruto gapped as Poppy bit her lip with a guilty face as they sat in front of the Hokage's desk.

The Hokage assigned an Anbu to watch over them and they spent the entire day scrubbing the paint off.

Naruto had bid Poppy good bye when he finished his side of the wall, taking his worn body home, as she stayed to finish up her own punishment. The Anbu watched her from afar and she sighed, knowing her grandfather would hear about this...

The paint was clear, made whatever came in contact with it to disappear, and Poppy had been proud of her invention, until she had to sit threw hours of the Hokage telling her how dangerous it was. To make something far more then just tonics and illness, Poppy knew that her gift would take the art of ninja to a whole new level if they only let her!

The whole village underestimated her and she hated it. Naruto was the only one who understood the feeling and they had bonded over that. But, being a common girl, a female with no noble backing in this world of ninja was even more restrictive for her.

Sexism, it was everywhere and even her grandfather tended to use it. But, she knew he was only thinking the best for her and Ayame. Poppy just wished that they would look past the titles and image to see the real her...

A piece of concrete chipped off, as Poppy scrubbed hard from her angry thoughts, and she paused. Under the walls surface laid a small key hole, completely forgotten, as no one would possibly know it was there besides the person who put it there. But, from when the wall was built till then, they were probably dead.

"What the... ?" Poppy mumbled. She picked at the crusted paint and weak concrete around the key hole, revealing a latch indeed inside the wall and then a full door. She gazed as she stood on top of the wall where a hidden door laid under her feet. The curious part of poppy, which was a big part, had one common thought with the rationale side of her.

'I must find the key!'

So, after painting over the door with white paint, which Naruto and her used to redo the wall, she made her way home. Planing to head to the library first thing tomorrow, she stayed out of the dark shadows as she ran home to bed. However, a sniffle had made Poppy stop in mid run.

"Hello?"

At that, Poppy looked around her.

The dark streets of the leaf echoed with a hooting of an owl nearby. Poppy's breath clouded the October air, which had set in on the nation of fire, as she tightened the orange sweater to her cold body when a chilly breeze passed by her.

"Hello?..." A soft voice called again and Poppy snapped to an ally to her left. It was quiet but she had been sure that it had not been the wind.

"Um, are you lost?" Poppy asked the alleyway. She waited for it to respond or attack, but only meet the shy green gaze of a small girl with short pink hair. Sakura Haruno.

Poppy remembered her in class, Sakura had always been quiet and apart from the other kids, keeping to her self most of the time, like how Poppy did.

Sakura only nodded.

"Well, gramps is making ramen tonight. You could sleep over at my place until tomorrow, if you want?" Poppy smiled sheepishly, noticing the bruises on Sakura's cheek and arms.

Sakura gazed at Poppy for a while before hugging onto Poppy's arm. Poppy had taken that as a yes and walked her new friend home.

The two had dinner at Poppy's place and went to bed. But, the whole time Sakura never spoke and poppy was getting annoyed.

"Why were you all alone?" Poppy broke the ice and laid on her bed, patting beside her for Sakura to sit.

"..." Sakura gave Poppy a unsure look, whispering.

"A man tried to take me from ka-san..."

"What!?" Poppy shot up in horror. Sakura nodded and put her face down into the bed sheets.

"I ran when the man tried to grab another kid" She mumbled and Poppy paled before frowning.

"Well... that sucks"

"Yep"

Poppy smirked at Sakura's reply to her blunt one. The two stayed quiet for the rest of the night but made a silent pinkie promise to be friends forever.

 _ **(Flashback ends)**_

"Poppyyyyy!" Sakura whined, dragging her friend by the feet, as the two girls ran back.

"If we don't hurry all the good spots to watch Sasuke will be gone!"

'Where did I go wrong?' Poppy sighed and laid limp on the grass floor. She couldn't remember what had caused her little shy Sakura to become a boy obsessed fangirl. Her only hope was that Sakura grew out of it.

"Please be a faze..." Poppy mumbled.

"I'll get her hands!" Ino grinned from above poppy and in a second the limbs where in the blonds grasp.

Poppy smiled at her, she remember how they first met perfectly.

 _ **(Flashback)**_

"Auntie! Why are we at a flower shop?" Poppy whined out with a pout and her aunt laughed, patting her niece on the head.

"We need table arrangements for the shop, this just happened to be where flowers grow!"

"But aunt Ayame, flowers grow in the forest tho!" Poppy complained and earned a smack to the head after.

"Ah, Ayame!" A man with long blond hair cried with joy as he had rushed out from the back of the flower store and hugged Ayame in tears. "You've finally returned to me!"

Ayame sighed in disdain and pushed the man off of her as a younger girl with matching blond hair laughed at the scene.

"Sorry about my dad, he can be an idiot sometimes..."The girl grinned as her father gasped in betrayal.

"It's fine Ino-Chan, I know very well how clingy your father can be..." Ayame had been used to Ino's father's way of treating every girl he sees as his daughter or sister, well. All except his wife.

"Hi, I'm Ino!" Ino gave out a hand to Poppy, who grasped it with a smile.

"I'm Poppy..."

 _ **(Flashback ends)**_

Ino hadn't changed much since then and Poppy had grown used to Ino's cheeky nature. But, the only thing that scared Poppy was the crazed eye Ino had when some one got near Sasuke.

Poppy was just glad she had been able to have the two fan girls agree to share him together.

"You two are the best girlfriends in the world..." Poppy smiled up at the two girls, struggling to pick her body up from the ground.

"Maybe one day we could marry?" Poppy grinned sarcastically and the two stared wide eyed at her.

Three huge smiles broke their faces as the field was filled with rich laughter. The three would for ever be known as the fangirl squad.

 **To be continued!**


	5. The Failed Test

Naruto pouted as he rubbed his head, which Iruka had hit him for using the sexy jutsu again in class.

"I thought we gave up on code black? You know, since the last time it ended in failure" Poppy sighed, remembering how the hokage had made her learn from Ibiki for a whole day about Care Bears. It still gave her shivers. Naruto had gotten lucky, he just had to clean the mess afterwards... Okay, maybe not that lucky.

"You two, be quiet!" Iruka yelled, making everyone hold onto their desks as shit went flying.

"Man, the two of you are one big drag" A boy with brown hair, tied up to look like a pineapple was sticking out of his head, said. His name was Shikamaru Nara and Poppy loved annoying him.

Poppy stuck out a tongue at the pineapple boy as Naruto pulls his nose up to look like a pig and snorted at the boy sitting beside the Nara, Choji Akimichi.

Choji glared at them as he slowly ate a potato chip. He had been addicted to the things since birth some had said. His big gut and puffy cheeks gave him a fatty appearance, but kami help anyone who says it out loud to him.

"Poppy!" Ino hissed from Poppy's left. "Who's team do you want to be on?"

"Shikamaru's" Poppy said, pretending to listen to Iruka's speech. Ino blushed and Poppy smirked. "Can you image how much I can annoy him if we're on the same team?" Her eyes sparkled in determination while the boy in question prayed for her not to be on his team.

Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Only you would think that!" She said and Poppy grinned.

"Hey, knock it off!" Iruka yelled again as a book connected with Poppy's head.

"Sir, that's child abuse!" Ino cried as poppy held her head, planing revenge.

"I don't care!" Iruka glared. " you all will be adults from now on, so start acting like ones!"

"Hypocrite..." Poppy whispered making Ino and Naruto snort. But, when Iruka wasn't looking, Poppy grabbed the slingshot and a small ball in her bag, before firing the ball at him.

Iruka caught it in mid air, crushing it, and glared coldly at poppy, who sank in her seat. He finished his speech, organizing everyone into a team. But, poppy noticed that she wasn't assigned to one.

"Sir!" Poppy called as she ran up to her sensei in the hallway after class. "there must be a mistake, I wasn't given a team"

"Oh, there's no mistake" Iruka said, glancing over the students running by them for lunch. It was a sunny day and everyone was highly anticipating their new teams for the next stage in their ninja training. "Every ninja has been assigned to a squad"

"But... what about me?" Poppy asked, frowning in worry. "I'm a ninja, right?" Her voice cracked a bit as Iruka looked out the hallway window to their left.

Poppy knew she lacked in chakra quite a bit, but she didn't think she was that bad. Hell, she even beat Sakura and shikamaru on test scores!

"No, Poppy." He said slowly with cold malice, turning his back to her. "You're not a ninja"

Iruka's footsteps echoed down the hall as poppy silently stood in the empty hallway, frozen to the spot. She didn't breath, she didn't blink. Her brain couldn't even think. The air that was once warmth by the sun and laughter that was joyful to her ears became numb and cold. She was so happy that she used the itchy powder ball and a dark smirk hit her face. But...

"Ino, I don't care how much hair gel you use, and I'm sure sasuke doesn't ether!" Sakura's voice boomed as the classroom door slammed open. "there you are Poppy-Chan!" Sakura exclaimed, opening the classroom door wider with a huge smile on her face.

"Did you hear what Iruka-sensei said? I'm going to be on a team with sasuke!" She gushed, not noticing her friends unusual quiet behavior, as her bragging went on. "Of course, Naruto is going to be an annoyance. But it's worth it, don't ya think? ...P-Poppy!"

Once Sakura focused on Poppy anyone would notice the tears dripping down her cheeks. Sakura paled, stuttering a quick apology, as Poppy's smirk dropped. But, before Sakura could even utter a word, Poppy was gone...

 **(Later in a hidden base)**

"Did you do as I said?" A deep voice asked Iruka and he nodded. "Good, it's about time for a family reunion" a hollow laugh rang out in the empty pitch black room.

"Go and report to the rest, make sure everyone in the council knows"

"Hei!" Iruka said before the Iruka we all knew faded away, a root anbu taking his place and vanished. It never had been Iruka.

"you soon will know what it truly means to be useless..." The man hummed in the dark. His slouched form sitting on a expensive chair, wrapping of bandages cover his arm and left eye.

"Honestly, do you normally talk to yourself Donzo?"

Donzo chocked as an older woman appeared from the shadows with a close eyed frown. Her grey hair tied into a tight high bun and decorated with a simple hair pin. The robes on her body clearly showed that she's from the elders circle.

"Your years are catching up with you old coot" she chuckled.

"Shut it you hag!" He growled and she tisked at his manners.

"What do you want?" He glared at her.

"I want her, She's destined to have my legacy" The woman said without opening an eye and he frowned deepened.

"Why? She's worth nothing important" He said, already putting the girl into a list of useless ninja in their village.

"She's worthless as a ninja, yes" She smirked as the old man grew annoyed.

"But, You'd be interested to know that she's one of a kind, girls like her only come around an millennium, Donzo."

"And you believe you can teach her to be what? A old woman!" He laughed with a smirk, finding the old woman amusing for once.

The woman straightened her back and glared. "I'd put my life on her"

"Fine, but you better be ready to eat your words hag, she's your responsibility now" Donze agreed and pointed to the door, wanting to be free of the annoying hag.

"Now fix the hole in my wall!"

"Sorry, habits" The old woman grinned and disappeared, but the mess stayed.

"Blasted woman!" Donzo shouted.

 ** **To be continued!****


End file.
